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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: stock · firm · mine · ruler · drill · kid · stand · bat

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. stock — goods
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — to bear
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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