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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — a container
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — completely
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to click
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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