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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — to eat
  6. club — a group
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — soda
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — certain
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — to go on
  15. club — for golf
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — in a computer

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