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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a document
  24. pitch — completely

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