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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: current · mark · pitch · board · temple · sharp · plane · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. board — a committee
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mark — a trace
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — of water
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. sharp — with an edge

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