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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. suit — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — in golf
  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