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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 · safe · bank · sharp · band · ball · nail · root

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — of a plant
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — of a river
  24. root — the cause

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