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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a friend
  3. object — a thing
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. charge — electricity
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. mate — a partner
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — to wash
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. capital — a city
  24. mate — to breed

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