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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: net · race · mouse · safe · plane · rule · fan · stock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stock — goods

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