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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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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: patient · stock · cue · drill · vault · ruler · pop · clip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. stock — shares
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — to cut
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — soda
  17. drill — army training
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. clip — a video
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — to visit
  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