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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: drill · stock · content · scale · ruler · sharp · nail · firm

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. firm — a company
  10. content — happy
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — a practice
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. drill — army training
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — size or range
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — on a finger

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