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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to click
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — the fruit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rest — a break

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