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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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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: snap · sharp · ball · pop · march · stick · rush · cap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — to visit
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to click
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — soda

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