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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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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: roll · pop · stand · snap · bear · present · arm · pitch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to click
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. present — the time now
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. arm — part of the body

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