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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — government
  24. bear — to put up with

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