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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. march — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. suit — in cards

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