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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — the fruit
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — a company
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — completely
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided

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