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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cap — of ice
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. last — to go on
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mug — a face

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