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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 · can · wind · safe · firm · game · hand · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — help
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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