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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — the sport
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bound — certain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — of the year
  12. date — the fruit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. present — there

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