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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: club · safe · pitcher · sharp · net · lie · race · game

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. race — the arms race
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — a group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. race — a contest

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