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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — an aim
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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