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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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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 · chest · fork · face · suit · degree · nail

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — of your body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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