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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a trace
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — an aim
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to click
  9. rock — a stone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. object — a thing
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rock — music

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