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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — a hint
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — steady
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — final
  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