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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. shower — rain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — certain
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. bound — obliged

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