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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — obliged
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — the most important part
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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