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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. march — the month
  4. spring — a coil
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — of ice
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — music
  19. spring — of water
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — completely

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