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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitch — completely
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — a measure
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — to handle
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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