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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 120 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: pit · drill · pitch · stem · cell · ball · safe · club

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — army training
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cell — a phone
  24. safe — out of danger

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