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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — an aim
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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