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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a path
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a music group
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. track — a song
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — to keep track
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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