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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: stock · safe · kid · snap · club · swing · sharp · vault

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — a group
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. club — for dancing
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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