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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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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: safe · pit · straw · suit · swing · pitch · stem · wake

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — in golf
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. swing — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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