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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — a break
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — in control
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — child
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — part of the head

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