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

Word bank: stem · race · kick · fine · pitch · safe

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — to come from
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. race — the arms race
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — in football

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