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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: ball · racket · pitcher · safe · clip · cue · pitch · firm

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — a company
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. clip — a video
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cue — for pool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ball — a great time
  19. clip — to cut
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — decided
  22. cue — a hint
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a dance

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