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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — completely
  11. firm — decided
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chest — a box
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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