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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — completely
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — there
  20. shower — rain
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — a gift

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