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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: deal · rush · hand · pitch · row · safe · pop · ground

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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