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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: bank · safe · snap · stock · rest · key · pitcher · squash

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — shares
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — of a river

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