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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a signal
  13. present — there
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cue — a hint
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the fish

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