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

Word bank: face · pound · swing · date · charge · deal · pitch · chair

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to confront
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — part of the head

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