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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 · arm · capital · stem · safe · bear · band · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. current — electric
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — shares
  24. stem — a stem cell

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