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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — steady
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — a box
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — child
  11. stock — shares
  12. chest — of your body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — a company
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fine — a penalty

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