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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cell — a phone

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