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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 · cue · cap · bark · kid · stock · bat · rush

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kid — child
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kid — to tease

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