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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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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: stock · hand · pitch · racket · cabinet · lean · spell · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hand — help
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — letters
  10. hand — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — shares

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