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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 120 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: bank · bear · mark · bound · wind · pitch · safe · race

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — a contest
  21. mark — a grade
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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