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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. craft — boats
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — to spend time

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