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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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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: bank · bowl · net · saw · pound · safe · kid · nail

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — for catching
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — after costs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kid — child
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kid — to tease
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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