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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 · season · board · snap · pound · cabinet · pitch · craft

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — of the year
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — to get on

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