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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: march · net · safe · stick · bear · snap · pitch · row

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. net — for catching
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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