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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · kid · date · net · safe · roll · stock · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kid — to tease
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — for catching
  8. stock — shares
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. roll — a cake
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. stock — goods
  22. band — a ring
  23. roll — a list
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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