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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — electricity
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — completely
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — music
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — in sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — in control
  24. sharp — clever

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