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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: snap · rule · pop · cap · stock · board · row · chair

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — government
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — goods
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — a leader
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a line
  20. rule — a law
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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