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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 · clip · content · rush · track · toast · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. content — happy
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — a company
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — the amount
  15. track — a song
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. firm — steady

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