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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: key · suit · hand · tube · stock · bound · rush · rule

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hand — help
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — goods
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — a container
  17. rule — a law
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. key — for a lock
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — in cards

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