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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: tube · stock · safe · wind · firm · deal · land · mark

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stock — shares
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — steady
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — decided
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — a container
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — a grade
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mark — to pay attention

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