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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: charge · stand · pit · ground · net · row · game · rule

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — in sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — a law
  12. ground — crushed
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — a position
  15. charge — a price
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — after costs
  20. row — a line
  21. rule — government
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — a hole

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