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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — wild animals

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