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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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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: pitch · bound · club · nail · lie · net · last · cap

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. last — finally
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — for golf

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