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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 124 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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — to handle
  7. capital — money
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — clever
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — a city
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — tied together

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