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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — a group
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. club — for golf
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — a tin

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