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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — in football
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — to protest
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. sharp — clever

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