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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. deal — to handle
  8. object — to protest
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — clever
  11. object — a thing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a dance

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