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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 · pitch · rock · safe · racket · land · trunk · snap

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to click
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. land — a country
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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