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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — all right
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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