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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: cold · file · bear · bowl · safe · mark · pitch · ball

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. file — a document
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bear — the animal

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