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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. arm — part of the body

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