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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mug — a cup
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — a group
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cold — an illness
  20. snap — to click
  21. club — for golf
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — a hint

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