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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. march — the month
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — for a hammer

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