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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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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 · bowl · safe · bear · rule · vault · roll · chest

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rule — a law
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chest — a box
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — the animal

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