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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 120 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: bound · degree · stock · club · safe · cue · ground · wake

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — for pool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cue — a signal
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — a position
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — a group
  21. bound — certain
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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