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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — electric
  19. sharp — clever
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — finally
  24. bear — the animal

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