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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: plane · face · scale · race · rule · spring · bound · pitch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spring — the season
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — humankind
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — of water
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — to confront

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