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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — an aim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rush — hurry
  20. object — a thing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — the animal

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