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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: safe · wake · stock · ground · clip · mark · stand · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — a position
  10. clip — a video
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — shares
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — goods
  20. clip — for paper
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — a soup base

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