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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · pitch · pound · wound · bulb · chest · cell · nail

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — a box
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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