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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: track · hand · safe · stock · perch · nail · straw · mate

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hand — help
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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