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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: safe · pitcher · band · pitch · bulb · kick · bound · court

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — obliged
  3. court — of law
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — completely
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — tied together
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — of a king

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