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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. season — of the year
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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