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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. swing — in golf
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a dance

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