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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — steady
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — not warm
  19. firm — a company
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — on your feet

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