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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — in music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — the most important part

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