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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. present — there
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — final
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — finally
  17. present — a gift
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — to go on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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