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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. present — there
  16. tube — the underground
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — in control
  24. plane — an aircraft

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