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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: tube · key · rest · roll · safe · rash · pound · pitch

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. roll — a list
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — a break
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

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