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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: march · safe · squash · nail · cabinet · stock · swing · file

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — goods
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — to crush
  16. file — a line of people
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. file — a tool

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