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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — in sport
  11. degree — from a university
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. kid — to tease
  18. degree — temperature
  19. object — an aim
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — completely

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