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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kid — child
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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