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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. present — a gift
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — in football
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — there
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — a cake
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stand — to bear
  17. present — the time now
  18. roll — a list
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  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