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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: pit · safe · arm · content · drill · mark · wax · racket

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — the amount

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