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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: bulb · drill · degree · safe · pitch · bat · stem · pitcher

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. degree — temperature
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — completely
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bat — the animal

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