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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — there
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a song
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — in control
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — a path
  24. pitcher — a jug

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