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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: mate · rule · cap · current · ruler · stock · cabinet · present

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. current — of water
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — shares
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mate — a friend
  14. present — there
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — a gift
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — a soup base

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