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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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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: board · arm · stock · firm · dip · cell · tear · ruler

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — a company
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. firm — decided
  9. board — a committee
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stock — shares
  14. cell — a phone
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in biology
  18. board — to get on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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