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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: sharp · chair · snap · ruler · rock · pitch · date · bound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. snap — to click
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — obliged

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