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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.

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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: land · pitch · fall · bound · race · fork · bay · saw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. race — humankind
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — to come down
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. fork — in a road
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bound — tied together
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fall — the season
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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