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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
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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: present · pitch · bound · chest · foot · file · spring · bass

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — a gift
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spring — of water
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bass — low music
  22. spring — the season
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a tool

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