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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — to put up with

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