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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: mark · club · pit · bear · snap · content · saw · pound

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — happy
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a grade
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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