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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 · net · present · stock · foot · content · firm · fine

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. content — happy
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — the time now
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — a company
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — steady
  23. fine — high quality
  24. content — videos and posts

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