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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a song
  21. ball — a great time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitcher — a jug

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