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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: chip · ruler · rule · net · lash · stock · stick · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rule — government
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stock — shares
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. net — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — goods
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — after costs

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