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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: stock · fine · rash · present · branch · staff · date · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — a gift
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. staff — employees
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — there
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — high quality
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — the time now
  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