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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · chair · ruler · leaves · rush · cabinet · stock · march

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chair — a leader
  14. band — a music group
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com