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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — in football
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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