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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — a price
  4. shower — to wash
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — rain
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — a trainer

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