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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. band — a music group
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a ring
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — music

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