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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: bound · stock · sharp · pit · safe · hand · mouse · mine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bound — certain
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — help
  24. stock — goods

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