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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: swing · ruler · pitcher · net · kick · safe · object · clip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — a thing
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — an aim
  9. clip — a video
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. clip — to cut
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kick — in football
  18. swing — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — in golf

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