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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. row — a line
  15. file — a line of people
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bound — certain

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