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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — obliged
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — certain
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — music
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. net — after costs

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