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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 120 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: chair · mark · safe · fork · pitch · bound · lash · current

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. current — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — completely

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