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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — a law
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kid — child
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — government
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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