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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 120 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: stand · safe · pit · file · pitch · branch · chest · snap

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chest — of your body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — a division
  20. file — a document
  21. pit — in a race
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. pit — a hole

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