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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 120 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: stock · game · safe · board · hand · firm · sharp · pop

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. firm — decided
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — to get on
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — soda
  15. game — a match
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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