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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: firm · key · wound · pit · safe · racket · chest · date

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — steady
  18. key — the most important part
  19. firm — decided
  20. pit — a hole
  21. firm — a company
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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