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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — crushed
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — certain
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — a position
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a friend

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