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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — the tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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