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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cell — in biology
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — a phone
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — completely
  18. plane — a tool

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