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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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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 · bowl · land · safe · rush · wave · band · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — ground
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a ring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — to come down
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rush — to hurry

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