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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: cabinet · scale · deal · hide · can · rule · ruler · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. can — a tin
  3. toast — bread
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — a law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rule — government
  20. can — to be able to
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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