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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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. ground — crushed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bat — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. race — humankind
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — hasty

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