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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · game · spell · firm · spring · plane · stock · safe

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — letters
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — steady
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — decided
  23. spring — the season
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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