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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to click
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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