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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: bay · charge · rash · ruler · race · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. charge — in control
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — hasty
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — humankind
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — a price
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — a contest

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