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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. swing — in golf
  4. firm — steady
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. shower — rain
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — a company
  13. mark — a grade
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — a trace

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