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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — in control
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — government
  8. wake — a trail
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — a price
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rule — a law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — of the sea

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