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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — in control
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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