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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — a price
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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