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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: object · safe · foot · stand · mine · deal · pitch · rash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — a thing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — hasty

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