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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: row · safe · pitch · mine · bass · pit · prune · chip

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. row — to paddle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — a hole
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — low music
  22. row — a line
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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