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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: stock · rule · cabinet · club · toast · race · roll · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — a list
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — a contest
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. race — humankind
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — a break
  19. rule — government
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. race — the arms race
  23. club — a group
  24. roll — a cake

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