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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 · spell · staff · sharp · stem · safe · fine · bark

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — to shout
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. sharp — clever
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — a stick
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — all right

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