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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: safe · stand · track · hand · stock · fall

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fall — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear

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