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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 116 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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — a company
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — steady
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — music
  24. rest — what's left

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