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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: safe · fork · straw · club · pound · hand · bass · stock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. club — for dancing
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. club — for golf
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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