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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — a box
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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