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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — in music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. field — farmland
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — government
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. field — a subject
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pitch — completely
  24. key — the most important part

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