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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — in control
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — electricity
  18. tear — to rip
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — a container

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