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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.

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: staff · swing · trunk · pit · pitcher · stand · game · safe

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — in golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — a match
  23. staff — employees
  24. safe — a strongbox

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