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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. staff — employees
  11. drill — army training
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — all right

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