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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.

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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 · nail · safe · chest · kid · drill · arm · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — child
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. drill — army training
  20. chest — of your body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chest — of your body
  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