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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — money
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — a contest
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — a big letter

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