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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to click
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. track — a song
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. track — a path
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — to roll

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