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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. object — a thing
  4. clip — for paper
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bound — tied together
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — certain
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. clip — a video

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