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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 · pitcher · key · sharp · rule · nail · cell · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — for a hammer

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