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

Word bank: firm · roll · bound · wake · pitch · press · bulb · pit

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. firm — steady
  3. press — to push
  4. roll — a cake
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. roll — a list
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bulb — for light

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