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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — high quality
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — certain

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