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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · spell · sharp · mark · pitch · pit · snap · pound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pound — a weight
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spell — letters

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