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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: safe · fork · board · cold · dip · pitch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cold — an illness
  10. dip — to sink
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — completely
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fork — in a road

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