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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — completely
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pop — music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a friend

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