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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — completely
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — a friend
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. track — a song
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cue — a signal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mate — to breed
  19. clip — a video
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. track — a path

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