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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: club · capital · object · rule · bay · cell · ruler · stem

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. club — for golf
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a city
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — to come from
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — government

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