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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: deal · pitcher · safe · prune · sharp · kick · hide · fork

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — in football
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — to eat with
  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