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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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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — a break
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kick — a thrill

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