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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — completely
  14. roll — a list
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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