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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: safe · pitch · bulb · season · wave · land · pit · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — a sports field

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