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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mug — a cup
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — to come from
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. arm — part of the body

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