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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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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 · safe · land · kid · bank · current · cap · date

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — happening now
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. kid — child
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — of water
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bank — of a river
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a hat

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