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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. drill — a practice

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