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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. present — there
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — the time now
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bound — certain
  23. season — of the year
  24. scale — size or range

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