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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: rule · spring · deal · bank · club · stock · game · rush

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — to handle
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — a soup base

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