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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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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: lean · kick · bulb · chest · pitch · safe · kid · chip

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chest — a box
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — child
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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