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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 116 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: rest · pop · stock · tube · ball · cap · rule · craft

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. craft — boats
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — goods
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — soda

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