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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: stock · bark · pass · pitcher · fine · pop · safe · content

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bark — to shout
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — 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