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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · kick · bark · shower · date · pitch · game · safe

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a match
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pop — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — the fruit
  19. kick — in football
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pop — to visit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. kick — with a leg

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