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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 · tube · vault · content · stem · pound · drill · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — the amount
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stock — goods
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — army training
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — a weight
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — happy
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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