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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. land — to come down
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — a song
  14. land — a country
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bass — the instrument

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