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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — a match
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — what's left

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