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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — to handle
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — for golf
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. clip — to cut
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — in a race
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — dry grass

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