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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: bound · tube · cap · bear · straw · pitch · ball · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — a hat
  7. key — for a lock
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — the most important part
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — obliged

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