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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: track · kid · toast · pitch · safe · face · wound · sharp

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — bread
  6. kid — child
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. wound — an injury
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kid — to tease

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