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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
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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: chair · stock · can · wave · wound · scale · race · safe

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. race — the arms race
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. scale — in music
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — goods
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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