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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · pitcher · pop · cold · perch · pitch · fan · safe

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cold — not warm
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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