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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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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: bound · suit · stock · fine · chip · chair · cap · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — all right
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — a law
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — shares
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — government
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. suit — clothes

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