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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: pit · row · hand · safe · track · roll · cap · pitcher

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pit — in a race
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — to paddle
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a list
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a quarrel

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