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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: pound · rock · plane · cue · rule · bowl · stock · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — goods
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. capital — a city

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