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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mate — a partner
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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