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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: cell · pitch · foot · board · object · game · bound · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — certain
  15. foot — a measure
  16. object — a thing
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a committee
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cell — in biology
  24. game — a kind of play

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