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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 120 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: court · ruler · cue · stock · board · content · lean · cell

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — the amount
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. court — of law
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lean — thin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cue — a hint
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — for sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — to get on

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