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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
468
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: file · safe · spring · pitch · pop · bound · mouse · stock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stock — goods
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pop — soda
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — certain
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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