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

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rest — a break
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. drill — army training
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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