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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: hand · rash · ball · stock · date · pound · chip · safe

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — a series
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — a strongbox

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