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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · dip · march · kid · land · firm · safe

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. firm — a company
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. march — the month
  16. kid — child
  17. march — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — steady

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