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

Word bank: deal · stick · staff · pass · bound · pitch · wake · kid

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kid — child
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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