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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. band — a ring
  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