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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — electricity
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — to get on
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. content — the amount
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. face — to point toward

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