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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 116 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: safe · stock · object · branch · pop · chair · season · spring

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — to protest
  4. pop — soda
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — a leader

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