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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: safe · pop · stock · ball · bank · hand · bowl · drill

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — in cards
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stock — goods
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — part of the body

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