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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: mark · stock · cold · rule · swing · cabinet · rush · racket

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cold — an illness
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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