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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — a football final

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