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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — the time now
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a grade
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. field — a subject
  22. present — there
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — a trace

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