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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: safe · mouse · mate · bat · race · pit · cue · pitch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. race — a contest
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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