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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — for digging
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — for golf
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — to spend time

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