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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. object — to protest
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — a sports field

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