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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — to tease

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