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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — of water
  8. club — for golf
  9. clip — a video
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — army training
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. club — for dancing
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. drill — the tool
  22. club — a group
  23. pound — a weight
  24. clip — to cut

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