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

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — in a race
  6. row — a line
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — to paddle

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