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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — electricity
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — a price
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — a cup
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — goods
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitch — completely

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