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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. roll — a list
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — a partner
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. dip — a sauce

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