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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a hint
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. key — for a lock
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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