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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to click
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. craft — boats
  19. drill — army training
  20. mate — a partner
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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