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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — to bear
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for dancing

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