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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. track — a song
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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