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

Word bank: wake · pitch · spring · pit · snap · present · mark · content

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. spring — of water
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — happy
  12. mark — a trace
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — videos and posts

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