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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: snap · safe · pop · pitcher · pitch · rash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — a jug

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