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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — part of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. content — the amount
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — happy
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — a subject
  15. pitch — completely
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — to confront
  22. field — farmland
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — employees

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