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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. firm — a company

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