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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: rush · bat · pitcher · pop · safe · pound · calf · key

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pound — for dogs

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