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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: last · game · net · pound · sharp · safe · stock · mark

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — clever
  4. net — for catching
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — a weight
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. game — a match
  22. last — to go on
  23. stock — goods
  24. mark — a trace

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