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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — soda
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — completely

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