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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — all right
  9. craft — a skill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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