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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — to go on
  3. fine — all right
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — a company
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. charge — in control

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