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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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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: foot · stock · ruler · coach · squash · fine · arm · tear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — the sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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