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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 112 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 · chip · prune · band · stock · object · deal · rush

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. band — a music group
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — a thing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — to eat
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — goods

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