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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — a short time

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