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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: bound · leaves · hand · tube · track · pit · mate · pitch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — a container
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mate — to breed

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