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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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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: cabinet · rule · swing · stock · deal · content · lie · stand

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — a law
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — goods
  19. rule — government
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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