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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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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 · arm · spell · charge · march · kid · vault · pit

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — in a race
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — a price
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — the month
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — completely

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