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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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