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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: plane · temple · pitch · land · safe · vault · game · kid

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — child
  5. land — ground
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. land — a country
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — to come down

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