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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — to confront
  13. rule — a law
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — government
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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