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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — in control

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