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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: tube · row · safe · racket · stock · craft · wound · season

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — of the year
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. row — a line
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stock — goods
  21. craft — boats
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — for tennis

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