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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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Word bank
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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: mine · mate · pitch · safe · object · fine · present · kid

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kid — to tease
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — a friend
  8. present — the time now
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fine — all right
  14. present — there
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mine — for digging
  24. safe — a strongbox

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