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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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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: cap · rule · straw · stock · present · racket · ruler · wound

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rule — government
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — a law

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