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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. snap — to click
  3. foot — a measure
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — a trail

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