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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to click
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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