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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: pass · safe · lie · stock · pop · content · field · date

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. field — for sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — soda
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. content — happy

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