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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · drill · squash · game · firm · staff · hand · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. stock — goods
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — in cards
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hand — help
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — a company
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — the tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — a stick
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. safe — out of danger
  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