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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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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wind — moving air
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. swing — music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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