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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 116 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: bay · staff · land · ruler · cap · rush · stock · mark

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stock — shares
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. land — a country
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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