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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — a group
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for dancing
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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