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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 120 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: fine · stock · rule · bass · nail · prune · tube · cap

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — to trim

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