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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitch — completely
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — music
  14. present — there
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rock — music
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  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