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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — to confront
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — to get on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chest — a box
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — a price
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — in control
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hand — help
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sports field

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