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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rock — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitcher — a jug

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