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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — tied together
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a plant
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — the most important part
  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