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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — completely
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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