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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — electricity
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — for a lock
  24. deal — to handle

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