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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: sharp · clip · shower · ruler · charge · leaves · firm · pitch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — completely
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — to wash
  10. clip — for paper
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. firm — steady
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — decided

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