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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: club · rock · game · leaves · stock · safe · content · stick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rock — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — shares
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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