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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: pitch · cell · sharp · rule · safe · bay · snap · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — government
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — certain
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. snap — to click
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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