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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — to fit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — obliged
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — completely

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