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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. deal — to handle

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