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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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