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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: pitch · safe · key · arm · ball · spring · wind · craft

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — the season
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — part of the body

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