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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rock — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitch — a sports field

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