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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a song
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mark — a grade
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — to go away

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