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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — completely
  5. object — an aim
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. object — to protest
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. object — a thing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a song

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