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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: pitch · board · safe · patient · mark · wound · craft · racket

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — a skill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitch — a sports field

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