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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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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: bay · mouse · safe · stock · swing · pitch · bore · kid

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — shares
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — child
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kid — to tease
  17. swing — in golf
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — completely

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