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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: wound · season · cabinet · arm · rest · stock · court · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. court — of law
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — government
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. court — for sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rule — a law

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