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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: squash · wake · pop · safe · band · mark · plane · stock

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pop — soda
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stock — shares

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