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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 116 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: pound · coach · safe · stock · fine · fall · bear · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — all right
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stock — shares
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stock — goods
  24. safe — a strongbox

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