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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rule — a law
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. sharp — clever

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