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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. band — a music group
  7. bound — certain
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely

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