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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — of water
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. charge — in control
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fork — in a road
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — to put up with

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