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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · pitcher · bass · saw · cue · land · safe · snap

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cue — for pool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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