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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: rest · pitch · safe · rock · race · cell

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rest — a break
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest

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