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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: pit · wound · chip · net · pound · stock · mark · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. net — after costs
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — for catching
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — in sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — to eat

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