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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — in control
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — low music
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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