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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — a price
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. charge — in control
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitch — a sports field

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