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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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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: calf · safe · suit · pitch · snap · land · stem · capital

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to click
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — a city
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. land — to come down
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. suit — in cards

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