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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — final
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to click
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — steady
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mug — to rob

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