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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · safe · mouse · pitch · march · leaves · sharp · dip

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — completely
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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