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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. game — a match
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. field — a subject
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — a stone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — completely
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — music
  24. field — for sport

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