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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — a sick person

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