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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: suit · mine · pitch · drill · field · safe · spell · mark

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spell — magic
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. mine — for digging

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