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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 120 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: deal · sharp · prune · cabinet · rule · snap · cue · stock

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — an agreement

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