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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — the time now
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — tied together
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — there
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a grade
  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