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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the animal

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