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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: fall · stock · safe · can · chip · band · current · chest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. band — a ring
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. current — happening now
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — goods
  24. safe — a strongbox

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