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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: nail · cold · safe · pitch · date · content · spell · board

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — letters
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — happy

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