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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · rash · pitch · pit · bound · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — magic
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty

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