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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: cabinet · stock · pitch · arm · safe · rush · can · wound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — to be able to
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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