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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: foot · club · roll · wound · tear · rush · pitcher · pit

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. tear — to rip
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a cake
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — the bottom
  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