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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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 — in control
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — a lid
  12. charge — electricity
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a path
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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