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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 116 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: stock · rule · band · bulb · ruler · cap · court · hide

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — government
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — a hat
  8. court — of a king
  9. band — a music group
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a ring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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