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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. face — to confront
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. object — a thing
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — in sport
  15. fall — the season
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — of the year
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — part of the head

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