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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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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: kick · bear · racket · pitch · pop · wax · safe · race

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — the animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — a strongbox

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