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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — a price
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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