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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: pitch · pop · pit · cold · coach · safe · ruler · nail

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cold — an illness
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pop — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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