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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — tied together
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — completely
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. roll — a list
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. roll — on a roll

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