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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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