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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bass — the fish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — completely
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. shower — rain
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mine — an explosive

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