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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: rule · cue · rush · stock · spring · bulb · vault · board

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — government
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — shares
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. rule — a law
  23. rush — a thrill
  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