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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — happy

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