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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — the time now
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pass — to spend time

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