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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. court — of law
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. court — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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