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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. charge — in control
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — a price
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — certain
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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