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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. race — humankind
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — in a race

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