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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — in control
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. charge — electricity

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