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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — an aim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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