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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — a country
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — to come down
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — a group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — electricity

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