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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: fall · band · safe · mug · rash · pitch · ball · snap

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mug — a face
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. fall — the season
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitch — completely
  16. band — a music group
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ball — a great time
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. band — a ring

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