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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spring — of water
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — a cake
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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