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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 116 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: pit · kid · march · object · pitch · hand · lie · safe

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. march — the month
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a hole
  8. march — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — completely
  11. march — the month
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — to recline
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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