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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 · bay · pop · stock · season · ground · date · vault

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — a position
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. season — of the year
  20. pop — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. date — the fruit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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