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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. field — for sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. field — farmland
  24. bound — certain

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