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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: rest · race · kid · plane · pitch · sharp · pass · safe

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. race — a contest
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. pitch — completely
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitch — a sports field

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