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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: ball · safe · stock · foot · sharp · bowl · pound · date

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — goods
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — clever
  13. date — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — a measure
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ball — a great time

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