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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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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: rule · stand · stock · chip · dip · wind · ruler · degree

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — shares
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — a monarch

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