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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — a stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spring — the season
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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