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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: saw · content · pop · rule · court · season · stock · cabinet

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. rule — a law
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — in sport
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — government
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. court — for sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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