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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · firm · stock · pop · ground · cell · stick · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stock — shares
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — a position
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cell — in a prison

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