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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — a list
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. roll — a cake
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. charge — a price

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