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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — after costs
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — the season
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — a country
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — ground
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. land — to come down
  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