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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 · spell · rock · hand · saw · chest · pound · pitch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — a box
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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