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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · stick · tube · game · pop · snap · bay · saw

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — to visit
  8. snap — to click
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — a match
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — the tool

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