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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — a subject
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — for light

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