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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rest — a break
  9. wound — an injury
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fork — in a road
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — in music
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — an injury

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