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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: snap · bore · pitch · root · nail · suit · cell · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cell — a phone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bore — to drill
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — in cards

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