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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rash · cabinet · board · roll · chair · pitch · racket · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a committee
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — on a roll

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