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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: game · stock · safe · roll · ground · season · pass · board

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — of the year
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — to get on
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — in sport
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a list
  24. stock — goods

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