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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: toast · hand · kid · root · firm · season · stock · safe

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. firm — steady
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kid — child
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. root — of a word
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — bread
  24. kid — to tease

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