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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: ground · roll · content · fork · hide · safe · stock · wound

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — goods
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wound — an injury
  7. content — the amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ground — crushed
  10. roll — a list
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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