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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 120 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 · wake · ground · chair · safe · season · dip · ball

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a dance
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — the earth
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — in sport
  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