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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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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: bound · pitch · stock · club · lie · deal · mug · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — to recline
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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