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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — to shout
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to click
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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