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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — in control
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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