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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: safe · firm · bore · face · kid · season · pitch · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitch — completely
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. kid — child
  17. face — to confront
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — decided
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — a sports field

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