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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — an injury
  4. content — happy
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bound — certain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rule — government
  24. bowl — a dish

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