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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · board · hide · pitch · cue · march

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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 — a price
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a committee
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a hint
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — for pool
  10. march — music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cue — a signal
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  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