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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — steady
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — clever
  8. row — a line
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — a company
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bound — certain
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. firm — decided
  20. bound — tied together
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tear — to rip

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