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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: land · stock · race · safe · shower · hide · prune · scale

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — rain
  6. land — ground
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — to wash
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — to come down
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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