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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 120 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: fine · patient · rule · rock · mark · safe · firm · stock

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — decided
  3. rock — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. firm — steady
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fine — all right
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — a company
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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