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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 120 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: safe · pitch · drill · mark · tube · can · stem · kid

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — a grade

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