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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. can — a tin

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