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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ball — a great time
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — a grade

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