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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · rule · craft · saw · mouse · stock · can · ruler

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rule — government
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — a law

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