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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: spring · face · pitch · field · bass · pass · bound · nail

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — certain
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — a permit
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. field — farmland
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. field — a subject
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitch — completely

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