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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 · snap · straw · pitch · jam · land · club · plane

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for dancing
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — a group
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for golf
  21. land — a country
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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