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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 116 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: cabinet · club · cell · present · mark · safe · content · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — for golf
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — there
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — completely
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a grade

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