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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: court · lie · cabinet · chair · ruler · deal · march · stock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of law
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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