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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: tube · race · present · pitch · track · cap · toast · safe

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — the time now
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — of ice
  14. race — a contest
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — completely
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. race — the arms race

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