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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cell · fine · leaves · pitcher · ground · face · safe

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — a position
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — crushed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to point toward
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fine — high quality
  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