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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: pound · file · stock · net · kid · safe · ground · board

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. ground — a position
  4. file — a document
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — after costs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ground — the earth
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kid — child

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