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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitch — completely
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — a thrill

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