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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — army training
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — the tool
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — a path

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