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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stem — to come from
  6. hand — help
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a lid
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a hat

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