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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · bound · fan · fine · staff · pitch · stem · march

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bound — tied together
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — all right
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — before a funeral

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