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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · stick · racket · pitcher · pop · march · safe · row

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pop — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — for tennis
  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