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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — magic
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — a price
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mate — a partner

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