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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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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: chest · bulb · pound · stock · ruler · safe · kick · bass

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — a box
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. kick — in football
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pound — for dogs

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