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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — completely
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — a container
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. firm — a company
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. firm — steady
  23. swing — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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