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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: bark · clip · stock · jam · wound · net · safe · wake

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wake — a trail
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. clip — a video
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. clip — to cut
  19. net — after costs
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. clip — for paper
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. jam — a tight spot

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