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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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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: pit · rule · plane · row · kid · bowl · ruler · stock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — child
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stock — goods
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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