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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: mate · club · lie · ball · capital · rest · safe · pitch

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — a break
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a city
  18. club — for golf
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — completely
  21. capital — money
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a dance

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