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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: stock · ruler · pitcher · safe · saw · current · cap · spring

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. current — electric
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — happening now

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