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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. snap — to click
  24. bass — the fish

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