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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · craft · safe · game · mug · roll · pitch · kick

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mug — a cup
  12. roll — a list
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. prune — to trim
  16. craft — a skill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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