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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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