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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 120 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 · mug · safe · wound · ruler · bat · can · season

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. season — of the year
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — to be able to

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