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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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