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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. content — happy
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — a strongbox

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