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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to tire
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. track — a song
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. swing — in golf

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