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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: suit · drill · scale · pitch · safe · hand · sharp · bowl

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — completely
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. scale — in music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. drill — army training
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hand — help

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