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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 · hand · ruler · trunk · pitcher · cap · track · plane

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a song
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — shares
  24. track — a path

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