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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — low music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — for sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — the season

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