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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: safe · pitch · mine · march · ball · rash · nail · calf

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — completely
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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