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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — completely
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. last — final
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cell — a phone
  19. content — happy
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — of the year
  24. last — to go on

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