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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — in biology
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bound — certain
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. net — in sport
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rock — to move gently

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