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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · rash · pitch · safe · stand · net · current · clip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — electric
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. net — after costs
  15. clip — a video
  16. net — in sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — a series
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. net — for catching

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