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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: squash · wind · pitcher · safe · sharp · nail · pound · stock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — goods
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the vegetable

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