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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: stock · spell · race · pit · can · safe · pitcher · degree

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — a contest
  5. degree — from a university
  6. race — the arms race
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — letters
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — to be able to

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