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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: stick · snap · club · pop · pass · safe · racket · patient

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — a permit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — for golf
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — a group
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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