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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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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 · saw · pitch · present · stick · ruler · date · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — the time now
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — for measuring

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