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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — a path
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — a measure
  19. content — happy
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  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