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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: fork · hide · kick · drill · stock · safe · pitch · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stock — goods

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