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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — of law
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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