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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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