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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: stock · rest · cue · rule · bore · fine · spring · nail

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bore — to drill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — a break
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — all right
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — a law
  24. spring — of water

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