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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — in control
  6. firm — a company
  7. march — the month
  8. cold — an illness
  9. club — for golf
  10. firm — decided
  11. club — a group
  12. cold — not warm
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — steady
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — a price

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