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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: chest · firm · bank · bowl · safe · craft · kid · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — boats
  3. kid — to tease
  4. firm — steady
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. craft — a skill
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — child
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. firm — a company
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — goods
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chest — of your body

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