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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: bay · fork · pitcher · safe · pitch · cold · bound · rock

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rock — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pitcher — a jug

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