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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: pound · jam · saw · object · clip · row · ruler · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a line
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stock — shares
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. jam — in traffic

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