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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. charge — in control
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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