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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 120 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: hand · stock · staff · safe · straw · pop · stand · bulb

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — to bear
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  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