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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: ruler · court · file · ground · date · cabinet · rash · stock

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of a king
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — hasty
  11. file — a document
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — of law
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — the fruit

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