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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — an injury
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — a tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. band — a music group

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