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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 120 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: drill · stock · pitch · safe · lie · cap · mate · bank

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — to breed
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — for money

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