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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to click
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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