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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: nail · toast · hand · safe · ground · club · pitcher · pop

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for golf
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — for dancing

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