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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: mug · march · bound · pit · file · bay · wind · squash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. march — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — certain
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pit — a hole
  21. file — a document
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. march — the month

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