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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: tube · drill · stock · file · key · safe · deal · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — army training
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — goods
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tube — a container
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a document
  24. safe — out of danger

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