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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 · straw · kid · bore · present · bulb · safe · scale

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — there
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kid — child
  13. bore — to tire
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — a gift
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kid — to tease

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