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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: hide · ball · can · row · kid · wound · pitch · safe

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kid — child
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. hide — to keep secret

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