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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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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 · perch · rush · game · spell · bank · sharp · safe

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spell — letters
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitch — completely
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — a thrill

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