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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — in control
  4. hand — help
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rash — a series
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hand — in cards

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