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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 120 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: board · staff · stock · prune · stand · cue · rule · bass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — a committee
  11. rule — government
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — to bear
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cue — for pool

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