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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — a price
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fall — the season
  5. spell — letters
  6. chest — of your body
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — electricity
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — in control
  14. chest — a box
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — a company
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — steady
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — to drop
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — magic
  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