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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — all right
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — a price
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — a penalty

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