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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — for sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — farmland
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. field — a subject
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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