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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — a series
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a dance
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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