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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 · cap · bat · face · game · pitch · nail · season

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cap — a lid
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cap — a hat
  14. season — in sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cap — of ice

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