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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pass — to spend time

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