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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lean — thin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. bear — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lean — to bend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — to rest against

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