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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — a safe
  4. net — after costs
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pound — a weight
  7. game — a match
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bound — certain
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — wild animals

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