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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 · cell · ruler · kid · press · cabinet · board · stock

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kid — child
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — to push
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — shares
  24. cell — in biology

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