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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wax — to grow
  20. game — a match
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

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