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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bark — to shout
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. snap — to click
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — to breed
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. last — final

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