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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: stick · mark · content · rash · board · cabinet · dip · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — a series
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — the amount
  13. dip — to sink
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. content — videos and posts

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