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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: deal · pitch · rash · snap · tube · saw · pit · lean

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. rash — hasty
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lean — thin
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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