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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — tied together
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a face
  15. object — to protest
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — for sport
  24. mug — a cup

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