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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — certain
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — of water
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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