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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. row — a line
  14. fine — all right
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — completely
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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