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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: pitch · snap · bark · coach · safe · foot · bear · kick

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — in football
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to click
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — a trainer

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