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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to click
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — to protest
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pop — music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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