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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 · ground · arm · land · can · band · firm · bowl

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stock — shares
  6. ground — a position
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — steady
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — decided
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. land — ground
  24. arm — part of the body

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