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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to click

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