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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — to sink
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — completely
  18. snap — to click
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rest — what's left
  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