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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. pitch — completely
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — happy
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — certain
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — the amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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