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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: mine · kick · bat · charge · stick · ball · safe · bank

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. charge — in control
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. safe — a strongbox

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