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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: rule · saw · rest · stock · bear · cue · game · ruler

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — a break
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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