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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to click

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