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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — a video
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position

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