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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — a trainer

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