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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: band · cell · club · row · pound · ruler · stock · mark

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mark — a trace
  9. band — a ring
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — a phone
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — in biology
  22. row — to paddle
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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