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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 · ball · ruler · key · nail · stock · jam · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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