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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chip — for betting
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — the time now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. march — music
  16. present — a gift
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — to eat
  24. patient — a sick person

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