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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rule — government
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. charge — a price
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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