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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — for golf
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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