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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — of the year
  5. court — for sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. court — of law
  11. rest — a break
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — a container
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — the underground

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