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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitch — completely
  6. snap — to click
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. current — of water
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — electric
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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