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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — electricity
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — a price

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