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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. firm — steady
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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