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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cue — for pool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a match

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