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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 120 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: swing · pitcher · kick · object · pitch · fork · safe · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. object — a thing
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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