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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 · stock · safe · pass · racket · staff · spring · clip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. clip — to cut
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — a video
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spring — the season
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. clip — for paper

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