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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: safe · pitcher · key · bank · foot · wind · kid · deal

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — in music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — the most important part
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. key — for a lock

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