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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — certain
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bulb — for light

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