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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: charge · rule · court · pitch · pit · stick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rule — government
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — a law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. court — of a king
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rule — to rule out

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