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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — certain
  4. kid — child
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — for pool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — music
  24. object — a thing

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