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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: ruler · rule · bear · lie · ball · fork · stock · court

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — government
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rule — a law
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a great time

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