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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — final
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitcher — a jug

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