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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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Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — there
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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