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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: safe · fork · board · cold · dip · pitch · pass · row

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cold — not warm
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — to get on
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cold — an illness
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — a committee
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fork — a garden 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