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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: fan · leaves · row · pop · stock · key · suit · safe

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. row — a line
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — to visit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — goods

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