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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: cabinet · track · rush · foot · pass · pitch · bound · present

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. track — a song
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — a path
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — to keep track
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pass — a permit
  24. foot — part of the body

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