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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. clip — a video
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — certain

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