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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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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: straw · fork · safe · dip · content · bowl · clip · pitch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — to sink
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. content — the amount
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fork — a garden tool

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