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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: firm · pitch · wave · stand · snap · mine · mouse · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to click
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — for digging
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rule — a law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. firm — steady

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