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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 116 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: rest · firm · rush · ground · scale · kick · pop · stock

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stock — goods
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pop — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ground — a position

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