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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — the fish
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spring — a coil
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — in control

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