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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: firm · stock · straw · safe · cold · squash · ground · ruler

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — decided
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ground — a position
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. firm — a company
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cold — an illness
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — steady
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. safe — a strongbox

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