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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. charge — electricity
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rash — a series

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