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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — electricity
  15. content — the amount
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — a thrill

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