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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. land — a country
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — ground
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. band — a ring

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