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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: hide · bat · mug · fork · sharp · pound · stock · ruler

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mug — a face

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