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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: season · safe · date · firm · rest · fork · track · pitch

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. firm — decided
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. firm — steady

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