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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — high quality
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fine — all right
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. present — there
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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