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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — a price
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — a stick
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the instrument

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