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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · suit · ruler · kid · pop · cell · fan · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pop — soda
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — child
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cell — in biology
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stock — shares
  19. cell — a phone
  20. land — ground
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. land — to come down

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