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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. staff — a stick
  4. club — for golf
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — crushed
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — for sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — a price
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — music
  24. charge — electricity

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