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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: ground · wind · bank · stock · board · ruler · can · lean

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — thin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — a tin

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