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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — help
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — completely

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