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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: stock · safe · bark · pop · present · toast · chest · file

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. chest — a box

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