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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: pitch · bank · chair · rule · track · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — a path
  5. charge — a price
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. rule — government
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — a sports field

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