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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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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: kick · bulb · race · safe · wave · pitch · net · object

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. race — humankind
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — to protest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — a contest
  21. kick — in football
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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