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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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