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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. charge — a price
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — a permit

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