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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: bank · rush · stock · safe · firm · pop · cold · wake

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — hurry
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — soda
  24. wake — a trail

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