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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: fall · cabinet · safe · staff · content · mark · scale · stock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. content — happy
  8. stock — shares
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a grade
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. scale — size or range
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — the amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — goods
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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