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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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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: pitcher · safe · ground · rock · wind · nail · cell · roll

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — a position
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitcher — a jug

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