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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.

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: pitch · sharp · current · foot · chest · safe · toast · saw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — of water
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. foot — a measure
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — electric
  19. toast — bread
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — a box

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