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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: bat · craft · kid · face · pitch · fork · safe · can

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — to be able to
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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