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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.

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: kick · object · wake · land · track · wound · pitch · safe

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. object — to protest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pitch — completely
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. object — an aim
  24. kick — in football

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