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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: deal · pitch · rash · cold · pound · row · charge · rush

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — a series
  8. cold — an illness
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. charge — a price

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