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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 120 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: straw · pitch · bass · mate · sharp · bound · key · pound

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — in music
  10. bass — low music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mate — to breed
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — completely
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — a weight

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