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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.

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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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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: fan · current · pit · band · court · pitch · snap · safe

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a ring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — of water
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to click

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