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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — low music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to sink

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