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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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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: ground · safe · ruler · stock · bat · rule · scale · drill

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. scale — in music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. drill — army training
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — government
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — shares

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