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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. object — an aim
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. march — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. object — a thing
  24. suit — in cards

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