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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: rule · safe · toast · jam · band · pitch · track · kick

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — in football
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a ring

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