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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. roll — a cake
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — a price
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — a stone

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