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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a ring
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — certain

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