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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. last — finally
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a match
  24. pitcher — a jug

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