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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — there
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. present — the time now
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — a series

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