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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — to protest
  5. land — to come down
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. object — a thing
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — a price
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — completely

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