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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: lie · fine · mark · pitch · drill · safe · pop · cold

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — army training
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — all right
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fine — high quality
  24. drill — the tool

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