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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — completely
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. object — to protest
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — for catching

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