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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: ruler · wound · stock · chest · cabinet · pop · game · bound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — a box
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chest — of your body

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