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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — the time now
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rash — a series
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. cue — for pool
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bound — obliged
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — hasty

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