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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: board · prune · current · safe · wound · ground · tube · stock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — a container
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — happening now
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — goods

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