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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
468
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: bound · file · ruler · kick · stock · rock · chair · cabinet

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — shares
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a document
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — obliged

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