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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · charge · object · lean · pitch · jam · pop · straw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — to protest
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — thin
  20. charge — in control
  21. object — an aim
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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