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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — in music
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. band — a ring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — to rest against

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