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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · pitch · bear · content · snap · mine · hand · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. track — a path
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — happy
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. hand — help
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — completely
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — the amount
  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