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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pit — in a race

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