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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: safe · jam · scale · file · mark · rock · bound · stock

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a document
  14. mark — a trace
  15. file — a tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. scale — in music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — shares
  24. mark — a grade

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