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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pass — a permit
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — certain
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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