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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — happy
  20. vault — a safe
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — a stone

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