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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: patient · rash · pop · can · plane · stock · chair · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rule — a law
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — goods
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — shares
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — a series
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — music

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