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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. roll — a list
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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