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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 116 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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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: bark · stock · perch · safe · firm · club · ground · can

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — a position
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  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