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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: pop · can · bat · safe · bore · pitch · net · date

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — for catching
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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