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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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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: march · bowl · fine · stick · wound · sharp · pitch · fall

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — all right
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. march — the month

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