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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. wind — to turn a key
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. firm — steady
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. firm — a company

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