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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a lid
  5. court — of a king
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — certain
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — a path
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. court — for sport
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — obliged

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