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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 · row · craft · bat · bulb · arm · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitch — completely
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — boats
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. row — a line
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bat — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. row — to paddle

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