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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — completely
  8. court — of law
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. court — of a king
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. present — there
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — a gift

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