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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — a price
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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