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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
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: pitch · ground · ball · charge · kick · wind · fan · season

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — a position
  17. season — of the year
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. season — in sport

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