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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — to come down
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — a tool
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — obliged
  20. object — an aim
  21. key — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — the fish

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