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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: tube · safe · stick · pitch · toast · fork · suit · land

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. toast — bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — ground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fork — in a road
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitch — completely

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