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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: lie · safe · race · spring · pitch · hand · deal · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. race — a contest
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — help
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — in cards

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