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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tube — a container
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — help
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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