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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: press · cap · safe · pitch · craft · ruler

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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. craft — a handicraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a hat
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — of ice

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